The government this week filled crucial portfolios when it appointed directors general for the departments of home affairs and social development after months of wrangling and uncertainty.
But three other departments are still without directors general, highlighting serious problems in the top ranks of the civil service, which are losing skills to the private sector and suffer from uncertainty about where the authority of politicians stops and that of their most senior managers begins.
The Department of Transport has had an acting director general, Medard Rwelamira, for a year; the Department of Foreign Affairs’ acting director general, Abdul Minty, has stood in since Sipho Pityana left in 2001; while Department of Public Enterprises director general Sivi Goun-den leaves at the end of this month.
At home affairs it appeared that the dispute over whether acting director general Ivan Lambinon or former intelligence deputy director Barry Gilder should be appointed would never end. Minister of Home Affairs Mangosuthu Buthelezi apparently favoured Lambinon, while African National Congress Cabinet members preferred Gilder. The Cabinet prevailed, but will Gilder be able to work smoothly with Buthelezi?
Gilder was a deputy director general at the National Intelligency Agency and a key ANC operative from the 1970s. Announcing his appointment on Wednesday government spokesperson Joel Netshitenzhe emphasised that Buthelezi agreed with the appointment.
Department of Social Development Director General Vusi Madonsela’s appointment is long overdue.
Being the eighth director general in nine years, there are questions about whether he will last. Madonsela is a lawyer who has worked for attorneys Cheadle, Thompson and Haysom, as adviser for the North West government, and as chief director for corporate services in social development. He was acting in the position before his appointment.
A vacuum will open up in the public enterprises department when Goun-den leaves this month. He was a key member of the department who helped Minister of Public Enterprises Jeff Radebe drive the often-unpopular privatisation programme.
Speculation is doing the rounds that Eugene Mokeyane, who played an important role in the Telkom initial public offering, could be a front-runner for the job.
Foreign affairs has had an acting director general, Minty, for almost two years since Pityana left to join Nedcor. It is understood that Minty does not want the job. Two contenders are mentioned: South Africa’s ambassador to France, Tutu Skweyiya and foreign affairs adviser Lindiwe Zulu.
Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said that directors general were appointed by ministers in consultation with the Cabinet.
Netshitenzhe this week said the turn- over of directors general was unavoidable, although the government preferred that they serve their full terms.
This week the Democratic Alliance home affairs spokesperson Sakkie Pretorius warned that the appointment of the home affairs director general was crucial in light of the elections next year when the issue of identity documents would be central.
Institute for Democracy in South Africa executive director Paul Graham commented: “Although all these departments have acting directors general who are invariably people from within, it is extremely difficult for them to make the changes called for by the Batho Pele principles.
“As a result there are continual complaints about delivery of such departments. It is essential that there should be permanent appointments. Maybe the problem is that people in South Africa are underestimating the importance of committing themselves to the public service. We are looking at too small a group of people.”